It is conventional practice at many boat marinas throughout the world to provide inside storage for the boats during periods of non-use. Generally this indoor storage is provided for medium-sized boats from twenty-one to thirty feet in length, although boats of other sizes are often stored indoors. This storage is referred to as "dry storage". Some buildings may contain up to 250 boats, or more, during the storage season. Still other indoor facilities may be used for performing maintenance and repair.
A serious problem that exists in this indoor storage is that of the potential for fire and explosion. The boats in storage often have a significant amount of fuel, usually gasoline. Further, engines can often drip some gasoline into the bilge. Since the boats have blowers, heaters and other electrical equipment that may still be activated from the boat battery during the storage period, excessive heat and even sparks can occur. It is for this reason that insurance rates for the storage operator have been extremely high, often $40,000 to 50,000 per year for large storage facilities. At present the only method known to minimize this problem is for the owner of the boat, or the personnel of the storage facility, to disconnect the battery system from the rest of the electrical system of the boat. While this is often done, there is always the possibility that the disconnect is overlooked or that the owner may, for some reason, reconnect the battery before removing the boat from storage, as for testing various electrical equipment while still in dry storage.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safety system for the indoor storage of boats that will automatically sound an alarm whenever a boat entering the storage facility, or stored therein, has an activated electrical system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety unit for permanent installation on boats that will be stored that will transmit a signal when the electrical system of the boat is activated, with a receiving station associated with the storage facility to provide an alarm when a boat is to be stored (or is stored) with an activated electrical system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an infra-red sending unit on each boat that will be stored, with an infra-red receiving unit associated with the storage facility that will activate an alarm such that personnel of the facility will be advised of the presence of a boat having an activated electrical system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive and positive safety system for the storage of boats within buildings used for dry storage, maintenance, etc.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon a consideration of the drawings referred to below and to a complete description thereof that follows.